Angiograms of three different groups of patients were examined as to incidence, localization and severity of regional and overall coronary stenoses in correlation to age (group I = 217 patients with valvular and congenital heart disease, 174 patients with coronary heart disease without [group II] and after infarction [group III = 251 patients]). In group I the incidence and number of stenoses increased significantly with age, but not the severity of stenoses. In group III the age dependency of the number of stenoses was less significant and again there was no age correlation to the severity of stenoses. In group II no correlation of the examined parameters to age was found. Judging the severity of coronary sclerosis by a special score, there was a significant increase in group II compared to I and in III compared to II. Furthermore, this coronary score correlated to age in group I and III. In all three groups the stenoses were most frequently found in the proximal parts of the vessels independent from age. Stenosing coronary sclerosis is not an age-induced disease. Its more frequent incidence in older patients is caused by the longer lasting effect of risk factors with aging. Once symptomatic with angina pectoris, the coronary anatomy, does not depend on age. Thus regarding coronary anatomy, coronary bypass grafting should be equally possible in the elderly patients as in the younger ones. In patients with myocardial infarction, the number of diseased vessels increased with age.